Governor vetoes gambling bill

Gov. Pat Quinn today vetoed a bill that would have expanded gambling in Illinois.

In his veto message, the governor wrote:

"The most glaring deficiency of (the bill) is the absence of strict ethical standards and comprehensive regulatory oversight. Illinois should never settle for a gaming bill that includes loopholes from mobsters."

He also wrote that the bill "does not provide the Illinois Gaming Board with the same regulatory authority over the Chicago casino that it maintains over all the other gaming operations in Illinois."

He also used the message to push for pension reform. "Even a casino on every street corner cannot repair the state's $83 billion unfunded pension liability," he wrote. "I urge the members of the Illinois House and Senate to address the most pressing issue of our time — comprehensive public pension reform."

Expansion supporters have promised to try to override the governor's veto after the election in November, the Tribune said.

1:15 p.m. update:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he will keep pushing for a casino in the city.

In a brief statement, the mayor says the governor agreed with him on the importance of drafting and passing a gambling bill.

Mr. Emanuel did not address the governor's contention that the bill lacked sufficient regulatory oversight and that the bill included "loopholes for mobsters."

Instead, the mayor focused on his own contention that a Chicago casino would create thousands of jobs and the absence of a casino means the city is losing $20 million a month and "countless" jobs to neighboring Indiana.